82/83 frame compatibilty

justo612

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I got an 82 xs400j with no title. I found an 83 frame with title. Anyone know if they are are interchangable or can be easily modified to be???
 
They are the same, same engines and everything except maybe for little things on the tank bolt attachment and foot pegs there are slight differences between the Maxim and Seca from these years but aside from esthetics..they are the same bike basically
 
Do you have, or can you make a frame jig?
Are you a certified welder, or know someone who is?
Do you have a large MIG or TIG welder, or have access to one?

If you answered "No" to any of those questions (which you most likely did based on your question), forget about cutting the frames. The steering necks are the highest stressed part of a motorcycle frame. Weak welds will fail. The alignment of the neck to the frame is critical. 0.5º out of alignment can cause unpredictable or even dangerous handling.

All of those are the technical reasons to not do what you are thinking. Then there is the legal aspect, which is beyond my scope. Your local government or law enforcement agencies can likely explain how what you are considering is likely criminal. Possibly even at a federal level.

Bottom line: Forget about swapping necks.
 
Im a professional metal fabricator so there would be no issues with swapping them.

I bought this as a parts/project bike. Turns out there was nothing wrong with it aside from needing a good carb cleaning. Id obviously prefer to just get a whole new frame but Im having trouble finding one (cheaply). After looking at boats.net I see that the frames are diferant. So I guess better questions to ask would be:

What frames will work??

or

What 82 parts will work with the 80 frame???
 
Try to find a complete bike with a title whatever the condition, use yours as a donor.
This is what I did with my dohcs....
 
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